Movie Review: Black Belt Jones (1974)

DIRECTOR: Robert Clouse. CAST: Jim Kelly, Gloria Hendry, Scatman Crothers, Eric Laneuville, Alan Weeks, Andre Philippe, Vincent Barbi, Mel Novak, Malik Carter, Eddie Smith, Earl Jolly Brown, Jac Emil, Earl Maynard, Marla Gibbs, Ted Lange, Clarence Barnes, Esther Sutherland, Nate Esformes.
Jim Kelly’s charismatic performance in Enter the Dragon ensured that he would star in a martial arts action movie of his own. Black Belt Jones successfully cashes in on both the ‘70s kung fu craze and the blaxploitation boom in delightful fashion. You’ve seen this story take place in countless chop-socky classics; it is essentially Fist of Fury in an urban setting. Kelly is Jones, a martial arts expert for hire called in to help protect a black-owned karate dojo from the Mafia thugs who want the building for themselves. They kill the dojo’s owner and kidnap one of the students, but won’t be able to withstand the kung fu fury of Black Belt Jones and his equally skilled female accomplice. Thoroughly entertaining b-movie fare with a funky soundtrack that is best viewed with friends eating greasy pizza.

Michael Hayes

Bloody Michael Hayes declares that the Fabulous Freebirds are OVER! Hayes had left the Freebirds in late 1987 and saw Iceman King Parsons replace him alongside Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts. The Angel of Death would also join the Freebird fold during their war against Hayes and the Von Erichs. I believe the Freebirds as we knew them were done by this point; Buddy Roberts soon went into retirement and Hayes reformed the team with Gorgeous Jimmy Garvin in the NWA. Michael Hayes also turned 61 years old today.

Curt Hennig

When he wanted to be, Curt Hennig was fantastic in the ring. I became a big fan of his in the mid '80s when Hennig was in the AWA. He was giving then-world champion Nick Bockwinkel a run for his money; I wanted anyone to topple his reign. Curt finally caught up with Bockwinkel in San Francisco at the Cow Palace. I didn't even care that he won the title through Larry Zbyszko's interference. When the AWA's officials reviewed the footage and allowed the title change to stand, announcer Larry Nelson interviewed Hennig and asked him for the truth: had Zbyszko passed him a foreign object, enabling Curt to win the title via nefarious means? Curt cracked his trademark shit-eating grin, looked right at the camera, and replied "YES!" I was won over for life. Hennig lost the AWA championship to Jerry "The King" Lawler in 1988, clearing the path for Curt to re-debut with the WWF⁠—where he had a previous run in the early '80s—as Mr. Perfect. I actually saw Mr. Perfect tear it up with the Blue Blazer (aka Owen Hart) at my very first WWF house show at the Oakland Coliseum before he appeared on television. Quite a pleasant surprise, as I hadn't known Curt had signed with the WWF until I sat down in my seat and saw his name listed in the program!

Jumbo Tsuruta

Young lion Jumbo Tsuruta puts a headlock on an older lion, communicating to the wrestling world that he is a big cat on the rise! Jumbo is one of the great joys to watch on my bootleg All Japan Pro Wrestling video compilations, fighting hard against opponents like Stan Hansen, Bruiser Brody, the Road Warriors (with partner Genichiro Tenryu), and NWA title shots against Harley Race and Ric Flair. He was Giant Baba's protege, also training under the Funk brothers early in his career. Jumbo defeated Nick Bockwinkel for the AWA world championship in Tokyo on February 23, 1984 and held the title for several months until losing it to Rick Martel in St. Paul on May 13th. However, that was hardly the pinnacle of Tsuruta's illustrious 26-year career. Jumbo also held All Japan's Triple Crown heavyweight championship three times and enjoyed numerous tag team title reigns with various partners. Tsuruta also won All Japan's World's Strongest Tag Determination League tournament five times—two times each with Giant Baba and Genichiro Tenryu and once with Yoshiaki Yatsu. His career has enjoyed many more accolades than those! Do yourself a favor and scour the depths of YouTube for any Jumbo Tsuruta matches you can find.

The Undertaker Meets Sensational Sherri

Happy 55th birthday to the Undertaker! I don't know the story behind this photo, but enjoy the Phenom sharing a tender moment with the late Sensational Sherri Martel! Talk about a match made in hell, eh? Can you imagine what things would have been like with Sherri in the Dead Man’s corner?

Rock 'n' Wrestling: Bret vs. Stone Cold

Ric Flair vs. Terry Funk in the I Quit match at the NWA Clash of the Champions IX in November of 1989 is my all-time favorite wrestling match viewed in real time; I wrote one of my first columns about it in PORK #16. Every self-respecting fan should see the I Quit match, but I also highly recommend it to any non-fan who is curious about why many of us are devoted to the True Sport of Kings. Flair and Funk were masters of their craft who told a simple but effective story in the ring with believable performances. I knew it would be a long time before another bout rivaled the I Quit match’s brutality. Nearly ten years passed before that happened, so let us set our time machine to the WWF in early 1997 so we can examine that epic encounter!

Bret "Hit Man" Hart: The best there is...the best there was...
...and the best there ever will be.

Bret “Hit Man” Hart was a WWF mainstay, first making a name for himself in the late ‘80s as one-half of the Hart Foundation. They were two-time tag team titleholders before Bret struck out on his own, eventually holding the WWF Intercontinental and world championships. Hart firmly established himself as “the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be,” which was hard to argue when he tore down the house with opponents like Davey Boy Smith or Shawn Michaels. Michaels had unseated the Hit Man for the world title at WrestleMania XII in an hour-long marathon, causing Bret to question his place in a changing wrestling business. He would take time off for much of 1996 and it was during that time that a new foe loomed in the horizon, waiting for his return.

Astute wrestling fans pegged Steve Austin as a future world champion even in his debut year with WCW in 1990. I do not mind telling you that I was one of those fans. You would have to be foolish not to notice his ability and the massive amount of potential he had at the time.

Unfortunately, WCW never used Stunning Steve to his potential by utilizing him above a mid-card capacity. He vanished around the time WCW began devolving into the Hulk Hogan & Friends Variety Hour, but soon came aboard the WWF under the “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase’s tutelage as the Ringmaster. Although I was not a huge fan of the Ringmaster persona, I knew that Austin was in the right promotion now and that it would be only a matter of time before he tasted championship gold. Things started falling into place when he ditched DiBiase, became “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, and won the King of the Ring tournament in 1996. I grinned from ear to ear when I caught the recap and saw Austin’s fiery post-match interview where he ran down Jake “The Snake” Roberts, his opponent in the final who was undergoing something of a religious awakening. Roberts had quoted John 3:16 before the bout, inspiring Stone Cold’s infamous response, “AUSTIN 3:16 SAYS I JUST WHIPPED YOUR ASS!”

Stone Cold had arrived.

Austin had a lot of hunger and fury built up from the lack of opportunities in WCW. No one would ever stand in his way again. He was finished wasting his time with a past-his-prime Jake Roberts or the WWF’s mid-card fodder. Austin wanted the best competition possible, so his sights were set on the wrestler labeled the Best There is, the Best There Was, and the Best There Ever Will Be. Although Bret was on a sabbatical, that did not stop Stone Cold from trashing the Hart name whenever possible. Rumors were abound that Hart was considering a lucrative WCW contract, following other ex-WWF talent like Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall. He finally returned after what felt like an eternity, declaring his WWF loyalty and accepting Austin’s challenge. Hart referred to Austin as the WWF’s best new wrestler, but intended to make an example of him. Bret still questioned his place in the current wrestling landscape where fans cheered despicable foul-mouths like Austin when the Hit Man always stood for hard work and integrity. This had to change.

Bret and Stone Cold had some great matches in 1996, but their rivalry was only beginning. Things escalated when Austin cheated the Hit Man out of winning the 1997 Royal Rumble and then cost him a world title match against Sid Vicious, throwing an already hastily assembled WrestleMania XIII card into chaos. Bret was out for blood. He demanded revenge and would get the opportunity against Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania XIII. Although Bret had previously defeated Austin via pinfall, that would not count this time. Disqualifications and count-outs weren’t happening here either. This match would end when one combatant conceded defeat to the other by submission. Former Ultimate Fighting Championship star Ken Shamrock would serve as the guest referee. This match could be the one that saved WrestleMania, which was shaping up to be something of a disaster. Submission matches were often boring, but Bret and Austin were the best around. They were more than up for the task. Their hatred felt legitimate. Austin said he had never given up on anything in his life and was not about to start now. Bret promised he would or be crippled in the process. I thought the possibility for their submission bout to rival my old I Quit favorite was very real. Man, was I excited!

Bret and Austin didn’t wait for the timekeeper’s bell; they tore into each other upon sight, immediately taking their battle out of the ring. Their fight even spilled into the stands where fans got an up-close-and-personal look at the Hit Man and Stone Cold! Our combatants went back and forth, beating each other from pillar to post. However, the turning point came when Hart reversed an Irish whip on the floor and sent Austin crashing headfirst into the guardrail. Austin came up bleeding, compelling the Hit Man to zero in on the wound. Stone Cold would rebound, but was losing blood and energy fast. Hart locked Austin’s legs in the Sharpshooter, his finishing submission hold, and the end was near. Stone Cold put forth a

valiant effort to break free, screaming at the top of his lungs as the blood flowed from his forehead. He wouldn’t give up no matter what! We were screaming at the top of our lungs for Austin to break the hold so they could fight some more. However, we could see that Stone Cold was quickly fading. Referee Ken Shamrock ended the match when it became apparent that Austin had passed out, both from blood loss and the pain applied to his back and legs by Hart’s Sharpshooter. Bret was officially the winner, but Stone Cold gained the moral victory by refusing to submit. Hart knew it and attacked the unconscious Austin after the match, eliciting a cascade of boos from the audience. Shamrock intervened for a brief standoff, but Bret exited the ring and headed back towards the locker room in disgust. WWF cameras caught the Hit Man in the aisle yelling “FUCK YOU!” at an irate fan while flipping him off and it was a glorious ending to a magnificent match. What a story—Bret became everything he hated to destroy Austin, who kept his word and never gave up!

We shared the opinion that Austin’s time was now; that he would walk out of next year’s WrestleMania with the world championship. We could not wait to see what would happen between him and the Hit Man on Monday Night Raw in subsequent weeks. Bret vs. Austin had exceeded our expectations with violence and bloodshed the old-fashioned way, but my friend Joe had one question for me: Was it as good as the I Quit match?

“No…it was BETTER!”

Movie Review: Mary Jane's Not a Virgin Anymore (1998)

DIRECTOR: Sarah Jacobson. CAST: Lisa Gerstein, Chris Enright, Greg Cruikshank, Beth Allen.
How many girls recall losing their virginity to some uncaring jerk that just pounded away with no regard and then split a couple of minutes later? You probably spent some time hating boys and did not understand what all the hype was about regarding sexual intercourse. Mary Jane's Not a Virgin Anymore is about a girl going through similar emotions in this ultra-low budget fare. Viewers will not marvel over the Oscar-worthy performances, but perhaps they will find a funny and realistic portrayal of a woman’s sexual awakening from her perspective. Mary Jane’s story has a punk rock backdrop, but I think anyone who remembers the awkward nature of sex and dating in early adulthood can relate. Incidents and conversations of this nature take place in all of our lives. Longtime San Francisco garage rocker Beth Allen—of bands like the LOUDMOUTHS, COCKPIT, and the MEAT SLUTS—is in the best-friend support role while A.F.I. vocalist Davey Havoc and Jello Biafra are just two more Bay Area punk scene faces seen on Sarah Jacobson’s Super 8 camera.

Iron Sheik

The Iron Sheik turns 78 today! Wish him a happy birthday or be humbled the Old Country way!

Crime Stories: Remembering San Francisco's First & Only Rock 'n' Roll Band

Billed as “San Francisco’s first & only rock ‘n’ roll band,” CRIME also has the distinction of self-releasing the West Coast’s first punk single—the “Hot Wire My Heart”/“Baby, You’re So Repulsive” 45 in 1976. Johnny Strike (Gary Bassett) and Frankie Fix (Marc D’Agostino) began hanging out together after moving separately to San Francisco from Harrisburg, PA. They hung out listening to records, namely early British invasion and American garage bands like the SONICS and the COUNT FIVE. Johnny & Frankie soon picked up guitars of their own and began playing together under various monikers from the GUITAR ARMY to the BLOODY CHILDREN and SPACE INVADERS. None of these attempts at glitter rock panned out beyond the duo jamming in their apartments, although they did briefly befriend the NEW YORK DOLLS during this time. Johnny & Frankie also made the front page of the newspaper when they and their wives attended a David Bowie concert at the Cow Palace in full Ziggy Stardust drag.

“We see a rock ‘n’ roll band as a gang.”

—Johnny Strike

Johnny Strike was working as a waiter at a disco, which afforded him opportunities to strike up conversations about music with anyone who looked interesting enough. He met Ron Greco that way, having no idea that he had played at San Francisco’s Cow Palace a decade prior with the CHOSEN FEW, the band that evolved into the FLAMIN’ GROOVIES. Johnny would nickname him Ron “Ripper” Greco for his Gibson Ripper bass. SPACE INVADERS soon changed their name to CRIME and began adopting the gay leather biker look as a band uniform. CRIME auditioned a series of drummers and nearly abandoned the idea altogether until Ricky Williams showed up at their practice space one night, fresh from a stay in a mental institution. They began putting together a set and quickly recorded their debut single. “Hot Wire My Heart” gets off to a rocky start, as Williams badly flubs the beginning of the song. “Baby, You’re So Repulsive” is no “Silly Love Songs;” it is a nasty, amphetamine-driven number that must have sounded quite raw and primitive in 1976.

Slash magazine’s Kickboy Face wrote of CRIME’s first single in their June 1977 issue:

“Where do they come from anyway? Where have they been hiding? They look like neo-Nazi perverts, and they sound like your average terminal speed-freak nightmare. Truly dangerous anti-music. This must be the trend that is scaring everyone right now…If these creatures keep it up they’re gonna start banning rock music all over again, which means they must be doing something right.”

CRIME’s first show took place at San Francisco’s Old Waldorf on Halloween of 1976, a political fundraiser for a nameless queer candidate. Audience members were expecting something akin to David Bowie upon seeing their leather daddy look, but became upset at the band’s overly loud and abrasive rock ‘n’ roll. People headed for the exits and the club owner pulled the plug after five songs. They booked their next show to take place at the Stud, the famed gay leather bar in the South of Market district. However, their choice of flyer art would get them in hot water with the local music scene—a picture of Adolf Hitler’s face. CRIME wanted to do a series of posters featuring famous criminals, starting with the biggest one of them all. Record stores refused to display the poster, with Aquarius opting to cease stocking the “Hot Wire My Heart” single. CRIME became the most notorious band in town after the Stud canceled the show. Bill Graham and local music critic (and future Reprise Records president) Howie Klein began a campaign to have CRIME banned in San Francisco. However, the band soon discovered the Mabuhay Gardens and convinced owner Ness Aquino to let them play in January of 1977.

They would also soon part ways with Ricky Williams. Ricky’s pill popping had always affected his drumming, but it had become more than the rest of the band could take. One show saw CRIME opening for BLONDIE at the Mabuhay, in which Williams went missing until mere minutes before the band was to begin their set. Clem Burke of BLONDIE was onstage preparing to fill in for him when Ricky finally showed up. He would then proceed to leave the stage in mid-song, returning more than a few minutes later after an apparent drug-induced run to the bathroom. Ricky’s replacement Brittley Black would say of his performance, “He was a mess…he was drooling on himself while playing off/against beats; anything you could do to rape music, he was doing it” that evening. Williams began missing rehearsals, finally leading to his dismissal. He would go on to front the SLEEPERS.

Brittley Black would take CRIME to another level as their drummer—he was the son of former Blue Note Jazz Club house drummer Dave Black, who had also played with Duke Ellington in the mid-1950s. CRIME sounds much more confident and together on their next record, the “Frustration”/“Murder by Guitar” 45. Both songs are stellar, with “Murder by Guitar” gaining a slight edge thanks to its opening dirge.

“Their approach to music might be best described as the raw barrage sound—a self-consciously outrageous assault on the senses. Their second 45 has met with widely mixed reactions. A KSAN DJ who inadvertently put it on a turntable called it ‘the worst record in the world.’”

—BAM Magazine, January 1978

CRIME was now enjoying playing out regularly, opening for the DAMNED and the RAMONES and seeing “Hot Wire My Heart” chart in the New Musical Express. Their live sets usually began with a blaring police siren as the band took the stage clad either in actual police uniforms or dressed as slick gangsters out of an old Dashiell Hammett pulp novel. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen reported that the SFPD requested that the band refrain from wearing the cop outfits, as it could legally constitute impersonating an officer. CRIME laughed off the demand, continuing to wear the costumes with no legal ramifications. However, they were about to be on the search for a new drummer yet again. Howie Klein, now running his label 415 Records, had recruited Brittley Black to play for his prefabricated band literally named the READYMADES. Although Mabuhay rockers held the READYMADES in low regard, their connections got them paying gigs like opening for Sammy Hagar and Rick Derringer at the Cow Palace one New Year’s Eve.

Henry Rosenthal was attending the Mabuhay for the first time in mid-1977 to see his friends in NOVAK play when he saw a new band that he claimed changed his entire life. He had seen the STOOGES and the MC5 numerous times, as well as the ALICE COOPER BAND’s first tour in small venues; this band CRIME brought each of them to mind as he thought, “it was one of the greatest shows I’d ever seen.” Henry campaigned hard to win the new drummer slot, thinking that drummers the world over were also vying for the position. He was wrong—his elaborately designed presentation was the only response the band had received. Despite lacking experience, Rosenthal became Hank Rank and learned both his instrument and the band’s set in two weeks before their next show.

Crime and the Nuns argued fervently over
who would headline this show, eventually
reaching a compromise by allowing both
bands' names to be printed in the same size on
the flyer.

Hank being the only respondent to CRIME’s drummer search may very well have been due to the sense of alienation fostered by the band themselves. Although the Mabuhay’s new music scene was vibrant with bands like the NUNS, the AVENGERS, the MUTANTS, and the OFFS, CRIME did not view themselves as part of any punk community in San Francisco. They were above all of that, demanding to headline each show and refusing to open for other hometown bands. CRIME was there first, after all. This ultimately cost them an opportunity to play the SEX PISTOLS’ infamous and ill-fated Winterland Ballroom show, as CRIME steadfastly declined to appear onstage before the AVENGERS. Bill Graham offered the opening to the NUNS instead, who happily accepted. CRIME then turned down a benefit for striking coal miners organized by Howie Klein—the only punk band in San Francisco to do so—and found themselves further on the outs with the local scene.

However, their most notorious show took place during this time—CRIME appearing in police uniforms at San Quentin State Prison. CRIME played outside in San Quentin’s exercise yard with no security—if the prisoners had decided to take the band hostage, the guards would not bargain to save their lives. Robert Kennedy’s assassin Sirhan Sirhan was in San Quentin at the time, apparently in solitary confinement directly above the festivities. Hank Rank later remarked that he hoped that listening to CRIME was the worst day of Sirhan Sirhan’s life.

“It was blazing heat, and they had a little speaker for a PA. And imagine, you’re looking out there at a mass of 500 people and all I could see were crimes written on their faces: rape, murder, mutilation. All the disgusting side of humanity was sitting there looking at us.”

—Hank Rank on playing at San Quentin

Another show that took place later in 1978 would be notorious for other reasons, namely it being a complete disaster. CRIME had been at odds with the Mabuhay’s bookers for some time and decided to respond with a show at Bimbo’s, a nearby bar in North Beach, on Halloween. Naturally, they would headline, booking the WEIRDOS to open. Bimbo’s being a fancier, more expensive establishment entailed a higher door price, higher than anyone had previously charged for a local punk show—a whopping $7.50. Advance ticket sales were terrible; walk-up business the night of the show did not improve the situation very much. CRIME lost their shirts on the show, crawling back to the Mabuhay with egg on their faces.

CRIME recorded a series of demos throughout 1978 and ’79 hoping to release an LP. Unfortunately, their difficult reputation preceded them by now and likely prevented any small local labels from having any interest. Big labels were not interested in an edgy primitive rock ‘n’ roll band either; a meeting with Seymour Stein of Sire Records ended badly when Frankie Fix openly insulted the RAMONES, Stein’s pride and joy. These demos would not see the light of day for over ten years. Ron “Ripper” Greco left the band after a chaotic weekend in LA dubbed the “Fun Bus Tour” better remembered among the members for quality methamphetamine consumed on the way home than it was for the shows they played. CRIME soundman Joey D’Kaye (aka Joey Swails) took over for the Ripper, but nothing seemed to work in the band’s favor anymore. Frankie Fix decided to become the lead vocalist, affecting CRIME’s twin guitar attack. Rehearsals were not going well, prompting Hank Rank to quit.

Ripper returned to the fold, allowing Joey D’Kaye to begin playing the synthesizer. Brittley Black came back with him, taking part in CRIME’s third and final release as an active band. 1980’s “Gangster Funk”/“Maserati” single is the only one of CRIME’s original 45s that is not self-released; the Berkeley Squared label took care of it for them. “Gangster Funk” utilizes a generic funk riff to make its point; it is amusing, but not one of CRIME’s best moments. “Maserati” is much better—a rockin’ boogie that almost evokes an image of looking cool in an Italian sports car.

1982 saw CRIME come trudging to a halt with a lack of direction and ideas. Johnny Strike attempted to shake his fellow band members out of their drug-induced ennui to no avail and quit, ending a six-year run as San

Francisco’s first punk band. He would briefly play with Joey Swails in VECTOR COMMAND, a post-punk/darkwave project whose 1983-84 demo recordings became available on vinyl in 2018. CRIME bootlegs began popping up with the release of 1988’s First Blood EP, sourced from demos recorded in 1978. This easily would have been CRIME’s best release had it come out in their day as an active band. Ron the Ripper’s bass never sounded as dense or as tough as it does here. “If Looks Could Kill” is a fantastic punk/rockabilly jammer, while the crosstops kick in for the revved-up “Rockin’ Weird.” CRIME slows it down considerably for the moody “Lost Souls,” reminding one of a less abrasive FLIPPER. More songs like “Lost Souls” should have existed in the CRIME catalog. 1990’s Terminal Boredom bootlegs a live set from the Mabuhay in 1977; its official 1994 repress as Hate Us or Love Us, We Don’t Give a Fuck adds bonus tracks culled from radio appearances and their second gig.

San Francisco’s Doomed compiles two of the demos recorded from 1978-79. Both sessions provide enough quality material for a pair of top-notch 12-inches. Side A’s session took place at His Master’s Wheels Recordings in March of 1978 and features a number of amped-up WHO-style rockers that hit the spot nicely. Joey D’Kaye is in the band for side B’s 1979 recording at Time & Space. This session features more of CRIME’s rockabilly stylings, devastating punk sludge like “Emergency Music Ward,” and an early version of “Gangster Funk” titled “Monkey on Your Back.” Would we speak somewhat differently of CRIME and the early San Francisco punk scene had a label taken interest in either of these recordings back then? 2004’s San Francisco’s Still Doomed repress adds alternate versions of both songs from the first single. Cadillac Faggot is a band-sanctioned CD-R release from 2004 documenting two live sets from the Mabuhay one weekend in December of 1978—limited to only 100 copies.

Ricky Williams died in 1992 under “mysterious circumstances,” although some have speculated that a heroin overdose brought about his demise. Ricky sang for the SLEEPERS and the TOILING MIDGETS after his life of CRIME; he also named FLIPPER and was one of their founding members. Frankie Fix reunited with Ron the Ripper and Brittley Black for a brief series of shows in the ‘90s that reportedly did not go well. Fashion was apparently more important than music on their debut night. Frankie apparently frequently exited the stage to change his outfit, causing the band to lose steam with each break. Unfortunately, one of those trips backstage saw him accidentally lock himself in the dressing room! Frankie had no choice but to pound on the door for help while his guitarist opted to sing in his place. Frankie eventually wound up on the streets, living in a homeless shelter. He died during surgery in 1996, his body wrought with years of abuse. Brittley Black succumbed to diabetes in 2004.

Johnny Strike and Hank Rank reunited CRIME with new members Mickey Tractor (Michael Lewis) and ex-NUN Pat Ryan to play Italy’s Road to Ruins punk festival in 2005. This reunion led to two new recordings, the self-released Exalted Masters LP in 2007 and a 2010 split 7-inch collaboration with GNAWA EXPRESS from Morocco. Count Fink (aka Brett Stillo from SF garage rockers the FLAKES) would take over for Pat Ryan before these recordings took place.

Murder by Guitar 1976-1980 (The Complete Studio Recordings) compiles all of the studio sessions that produced the original three CRIME 45s, including the extra tracks that did not make the cut. However, Munster Records takes it a step further, expanding Murder by Guitar into a

lavishly packaged boxed set reissuing all three singles plus four more documenting everything on the cutting-room floor. Either version is essential for fans that would prefer not to pay up to $200 for the original pressings.

Cancer claimed Johnny Strike’s life in 2018 at the age of 70. He became a writer later in life, publishing his first novel titled Ports of Hell in 2004. Johnny would pen four more crime novels—A Loud Humming Sound Came from Above, Name of the Stranger, Murder in the Medina, and 2018’s The Exploding Memoir, published before his death. Plans were to release Society of Ghosts posthumously in 2019, but no word has surfaced regarding a new publishing date. Johnny also played with Hank Rank and Joey D’Kaye in the experimental oddity NAKED BEAST, who would have been right at home at the Mabuhay circa 1977 as their 2017 LP on Guitars & Bongos Records shows.

Hank Rank has been hard at work preserving CRIME’s legacy; he most recently produced the 35-minute film San Francisco’s First & Only Rock ‘n’ Roll Movie documenting a live set from the Mabuhay. Shot professionally on 16mm film with a soundboard recording, this is by far the finest quality video footage of any band that appeared on the Mab’s famed stage. Hank has actually been in film production for decades under his real name—Henry S. Rosenthal—beginning with Blood Orgy of the Leather Girls in 1988 (he also produced Marilyn Manson’s “Antichrist Superstar” video) and most recently as an executive producer on Bill Nye: Science Guy.

SEE ALSO: The Flakes, Flipper, Naked Beast, The Next, The Readymades, The Sleepers, Toiling Midgets.

Nikita Koloff

Nikita Koloff turns 61 years old today and we would like to wish him a happy birthday! I loved to hate Nikita when he was the NWA US champion back in 1986; it was a slap in the face to our great nation that this dirty cheating Russian was walking around carrying the title meant to represent these United States! Imagine how disappointed I was when I found out years later that Nikita wasn't really Russian, but Scott Simpson from Minnesota...

Movie Review: Deep Red (1975)

DIRECTOR: Dario Argento. CAST: David Hemmings, Daria Nicolodi, Gabriele Lavia, Macha Meril, Eros Pagni, Giuliana Calandra, Piero Mazzinghi, Glauco Mauri, Clara Calamai.
While Suspiria is the best example of Dario Argento drawing in viewers with intoxicating imagery, Deep Red does the same with characters and storytelling. Blow Up star David Hemmings is music teacher Marcus Daly, who witnesses one of his neighbors being hacked to death by some crazed raincoat-clad lunatic. He is too late to the scene of the crime to save his neighbor, but cannot shake the feeling that he saw something in the dead woman’s apartment that was vital to solving the murder. Unfortunately, he has no helpful information to offer as a witness and the local police have little interest in uncovering this caper. Marcus goes about his own investigation when the killer begins stalking him with a recording of a children’s song that any self-respecting kid would find creepy as hell. Daria Nicolodi is perfect in her first major film role as the spunky investigative journalist assisting Marcus in this murder mystery. She plays a fine Katharine Hepburn to David Hemmings’ Spencer Tracy. Deep Red was the moment when Dario Argento truly arrived, establishing himself as a director to pay attention to in the horror film world.

Andre the Giant Has a Posse

I’m sure everybody remembers these “Andre the Giant Has a Posse” stickers from the early ‘90s. You better believe that I considered myself a member of said posse, even though I was never able to get any of those stickers for myself. These stickers jumped the shark when it seemed like everybody and their mother came out with stickers of their own featuring anyone from Charles Darwin to Tattoo the Midget from Fantasy Island, but that’s how it goes in life and art. I wonder if Shepard Fairey would be okay with me or someone else bringing these back on some level because I always loved seeing them posted everywhere I went. Believe it or not, the WWF actually threatened Shepard with a trademark lawsuit over the stickers in 1994!

Booker T

Booker T during one of his five WCW world championship reigns! Let's all wish the Book a happy 55th birthday today! Now can you dig that, sucka?!